Trailer hitches for small vehicles usually include a hitch ball that is connected to the ball hitch receiver carried by a towing vehicle. The trailer usually includes a forwardly extending trailer tongue that includes a coupler having a downwardly facing ball socket that is to be placed over and pivotally connects to the hitch ball.
When the towing vehicle is to be connected to the trailer, the operator typically elevates the trailer tongue so that the ball socket of the coupler is at a slightly higher level than the level of the hitch ball that is carried by the towing vehicle. The operator backs the towing vehicle toward the anticipated position of the socket of the coupler until the operator estimates that the hitch ball is aligned below the socket of the coupler. The operator then stops the vehicle and lowers the trailer tongue until the socket registers with the hitch ball and the trailer is securely mounted to the hitch ball.
Generally, a problem encountered with the previously described process is that the operator of the towing vehicle cannot see the hitch ball and the coupler as he/she manipulates the vehicle toward the trailer and the hitch ball is likely to come to rest at a position that is not aligned with the coupler. Even if the operator is able to see the coupler, etc., the maneuverability of the vehicle is somewhat limited so that it is rare that perfect alignment of the hitch ball and coupler is achieved when backing the towing vehicle.
Various trailer alignment devices have been developed in the prior art. The prior art alignment devices for aligning the hitch ball of a towing vehicle and the coupler of a trailer usually have utilized an alignment means mounted to the rear of the towing vehicle, whereby the engagement of the alignment means of the towing vehicle against the coupler of the trailer tends to urge the coupler in a lateral direction with respect to the vehicle until the socket of the coupler is substantially aligned over the hitch ball. U.S. patents that disclose these types of devices include Morgan U.S. Pat. No. 4,974,866, Lazar U.S. Pat. No. 5,080,386, Ricles U.S. Pat. No. 5,330,196, Anderson U.S. Pat. No. 5,465,992, Austin U.S. Pat. No. 5,503,422, and Woods U.S. Pat. No. 5,516,139. Since these devices are usually permanently attached to the rear of the towing vehicle, they may be obstructive with regard to some other activities about the rear of the vehicle. Also, these devices usually directly contact the coupler of the trailer, and the coupler of a typical trailer is not manufactured with the anticipation that it will be repeatedly impacted by the hitch guide of the towing vehicle, thereby becoming damaged over a period of time.
Another trailer hitch guide is disclosed in Beaudoin U.S. Patent Publication 2003/0218313 A1, in which a V-shaped hitch guide is mounted to a trailer tongue and appears to engage the hitch ball of the towing vehicle as the vehicle backs toward the trailer so as to guide the hitch ball to a position beneath the socket of the coupler. A disadvantage of the device is that the hitch guide is operated at the level of the hitch ball and therefore depends on contact with the hitch ball, and the hitch guide must be moved out of the way in order to allow the socket of the coupler to move downwardly into engagement with the hitch ball of the towing vehicle.
This invention concerns a trailer hitch guide that is carried by the tongue of the trailer and the hitch ball of the towing vehicle that is located at a level below the anticipated position of the hitch ball when the hitch ball is moved by the towing vehicle into alignment with the socket of the coupler and guides the coupler and hitch ball toward alignment, such that once aligned, the trailer tongue can be lowered into coupling engagement with the hitch ball without further movement of parts about the trailer and/or towing vehicle.